the smiling captain
by jeffster18.2
Summary: after his death, naruto becomes fast friends with byakuya kuchiki and sajin komamura. the three of them made a promise to each other that the three of them would become captains. later at the grave of his best friend's wife, he vows to protect her little sister with his very life, his zanpakuto and every kido he posesses. naruruki, calm/ humble/ teacher naruto, kido master naruto.


"and the final graduates from shino academy: Uzumaki Naruto, Kuchiki Byakuya and Komamura Sajin." sotaicho yamamoto's voice boomed through the captain's hallway.

a few captains looked at the file in their hands with mixed expressions on their faces.

"the three of them are tricky ones." kyuuban taicho kensei mugumura said, rubbing his chin.

"Komamura-kun has an enormous physical strength, combined with the fact that he is suprisingly fast for someone with his large frame, Kuchiki-kun's speed is nothing to laugh at, and the fact that he's pretty accurate with kido will make him a formidable opponent, but Uzumaki-kun is very fast and incredibly strong, though his zanjutsu is severely lacking. his uncanny affinity for kido more then makes up for that." juu-niban taicho kisuke urahara mumbled.

niban taicho, yoruichi shihoin scratched her neck while reading. "so we have a powerhouse, a speed demon and a kido prodigy. normally I'd say that little Byakuya would be transferred to the second division, Komamura-san to the eleventh division and Uzumaki-san to the twelfth division, but Byakuya doesn't like me, so there will be no chance at getting him in my squad, Komamura hates the eleventh squad, because he believes that raw strength is never the solution, and Uzumaki has requested to be put into the kido corps."

hachiban taicho Shunsui Kyoraku suddenly piped up.

"how about we put Komamura in the seventh division, since they need more actual fighters, no offence, Love-san. we can place Byakuya in the sixth division under the guidance of his grandfather, and we giv Naruto-san what he wants, and let him grow in the kido corps under the tutelage of Tessai-san and Hacchi-san."

yamamoto nodded slightly and tapped his cane to the ground. "hereby is decided that Sajin Komamura will be placed in the seventh division" Love nodded. "Byakuya Kuchiki will be placed in the sixth division." rokuban taicho Kuchiki ginrei nodded as well. "and Naruto Uzumaki will be placed in the kido corps." Tessai and Hacchigen both nodded. "DISMISSED!"

timeskip (graduation day)

Sajin, Naruto and Byakuya sat down on the front row as the hall began to fill itself with underclassmen who wanted to see their beloved sempai graduate. mainly Naruto and Byakuya fangirls fought over seats near their objects of affections while both boys shook their heads in exhasperation and Sajin chuckled.

Naruto was a 6'2 ft tall young man with blonde hair that is long in the back, with two short bangs framing his face. on the back he has a shoulder length spiked blonde has brilliant blue eyes with a slash across his left eye. he wears round wireframe glasses and allways has a gentle smile on his face.

Byakuya was a rather feminine boy with a pale skin, deep grey eyes and shoulder length black hair. he had a lean figure and only was 5'2 ft tall. as usual he wore his silk scarf around his neck and his hair in a high ponytail.

Komamura was a massive person of a whopping 9'5 ft tall, who always wore a bucket-like helmet on his head and armored gloves. he prefers to wear the winter uniform as it covers more of his body. his body type is that of a living tank: tall, broad and tough as hell. this often intimidates people, causing him to have almost no friends, with the exception of Byakuya and Naruto. Naruto allways said that he was a gentle giant, and that people shouldn't be so superficial, while Byakuya merely stated that Sajin should be proud of his form, as it is the perfect example of power.

a bald man with a long white beard, clothed in a white haori stepped onto the podium and tapped his cane, causing the hall to go silent. he introduced himself as the sotaicho of the gotei juu-san and gave a short speech about true power and the will to protect the living from the hollows, before listing the graduates and the divisions they were enlisted to.

"and finally, the top three graduates this year: third place: Sajin Komamura, squad seven. second place: Byakuya Kuchiki, squad six. and Top graduate of this year: Naruto Uzumaki: Kido corps division twenty-two. congratulations, all of you. now may you grow strong and reach for the top." he concluded, before walking off the stage and leaving the graduates to their own devices.

the three graduating friends bumped fists.

"well guys... this is it. we did it." Naruto began.

"indeed Naruto. we've all finally become shinigami." Byakuya stated with a haughty smirk.

"thanks... both of you. without you two, I don't think I whould've made it."Sajin rumbled.

"nonsense Sajin. even without us two, you whould still have made a fine shinigami. you just need to get over your self-conciousness and get some freaking confidence." Byakuya stated.

"he's right Sajin-kun. as long as you believe in your own skills, and stand firm in your beliefs, you'll probably even make it to captaincy someday." Naruto smiled calmly, before smirking.

"lets make a promise. the three of us will all aim to become taicho."

"interesting... very well Naruto. I'm in" Byakuya smirked widely.

"allright. it's a promise. the three of us will become taicho someday. and when we do, we'll become the most powerful shinigami ever. deal?" Sajin grinned from under his helmet. he stuck out his hand. Naruto and Byakuya placed theird on top of his and they all laughed before they broke contact and said their goodbyes. none of them noticed a certain sotaicho watching them from behind the curtains, grinning to himself.

"an interesting bunch indeed.

(timeskip: 60 years.)

Naruto sat in his office filing paperwork as Byakuya stormed in, almost knocking his door out of its hinges, and scattering the paperwork everywhere. Naruto's eye twitched as his paperwork was all scrambled up, and it would probably cost him the rest of the day to reorganise it all. he sighed and put his brush down before giving Byakuya a flat look.

"really Byakuya?" he deadpanned in a flat voice, before seeing his best friend's look. it was a look of pure glee, a look he didn't show very often.

he quickly activated his privacy barrier before smacking Byakuya over the head with his sheathed zanpakuto.

"now tell me why you're acting like a baboon on drugs, or get out, because this paperwork lately has been piling up. I swear these hollows are spawning everywhere nowadays."

"allright. you know that I have been dating Hisana for the past ten years right?" Naruto nodded.

"and I've been wanting to tie the knot with her for a long time right?" again Naruto nodded.

"well. last night we went to that new place for our ten year anniversary, and I finally popped the question." Naruto rose an eyebrow.

"and?"

"SHE SAID YES!" he roared in happiness. Naruto jumped up, and ran over to his cabinet. he grabbed a bottle of high-quality saké and poured two cups. smiling broadly he offered one to his friend, while sending a hell butterfly to the seventh division to get Sajin into the fun as well.

"congratulations, Byakuya. I'm really happy for the both of you."

about thirty minutes later, Sajin came barreling throught the door, and Byakuya explained the situation to their third friend as well, and Sajin actually howled in joy. Naruto poured a third cup, and gave it to Sajin. the giant in question took off his helmet, revealing his wolf-like features and the three raised their glasses.

"KANPAI!" the three roared at the same time before downing the cups.

"also... Hisana and I have been talking... and we want the both of you to be our best men on the wedding. you're my best friends, and you have both accepted Hisana as if she were your own family, so do you accept?" both men nodded, and they all shared drinks until deep into the night.

(timeskip: thirty years later.)

rain...

it was raining, but the three friends didn't care. they lost a valued member of their little group. Hisana Kuchiki... has passed away. twenty-six years after their marriage, Hisana fell ill, and grew weaker and weaker with each passing day. Sajin had tried to stay optimistic, and tried to get urahara and unohana to search for a cure. Byakuya has spent every spare moment with her, trying to comfort her, and Naruto had been looking for a kido to heal such illnesses. with healing kido, he managed to prolong her life for three years, before her body gave out. that was three days ago.

(flashback)

_"byakkun...Naruto-kun...Sajin-kun... I'm sorry, but my time is up. I want to thank the three of you for everything you have given me..."_

_"Sajin-kun... you were the best friend a girl like me could ever wish for... you're strong, gentle and I could trust you with my life."_

_"Naruto-kun... you were like a brother to me... allways making me laugh when I was down... allways protecting me when byakkun wasn't around, and allways drinking tea with me when you had the time..."_

_"and byakkun... my byakkun... you have given me a second chance... saved me from the hell that was inuzuri... you loved me, married me... protected me and held me... you laughed with me in good times... cried with me in bad times... you held me tight when I had nightmares, and loved me for nearly forty years... but before I go... I need you three to do me one last favor..."_

_the three men nodded, not trusting their voices... sajins ears were drooped, Byakuya had tears shimmering in his eyes, and Naruto let his tears fall freely across his cheeks._

_"before I met the three of you... I had a sister... her name was rukia, and she was just a baby... in order to survive... I had to do something... I've never forgiven myself... I left her behind..."_

_her tears began do fall._

_"I left a baby... on her own... in inuzuri... my own flesh and blood... my own baby sister... please... I beg of you three... find her... and protect her... the same way... you protected me..."_

_"..we... we promise... Hisana-chan..." Byakuya finally croaked. his voice cracking._

_"indeed... we promise. Hisana." Naruto and Sajin both managed to speak up._

_"good... I'm glad to have met you... Naruto... Sajin...thank you... byakkun... I... love... you..." before she smiled one last time._

_Naruto then unplugged the monitors, whispering: _

_"sleep well... Hisana... we'll find rukia..."_

_with that, Hisana closed her eyes, and took her last breath. _

_Naruto threw the heart monitor through the window in anger and despair, while Sajin howled in agony. Byakuya stood up, and left the room. he went to the Kuchiki clan training area and released his zanpakuto._

_"BANKAI! SENKEI, SENBONZAKURA KAGEYOSHI: SHUKEI HAKUTEIKEN!" (final release: scene of the massacre, vibrant display of a million cherry blossoms: imperial white flame.)_

_he roared in fury and despair as he shot one white flame after another. finally letting his tears flow free. every flame grew hotter and bigger then the one before. his roars became louder and more aggressive. by the time he was done, it had started raining heavily, and the entire training ground was nothing more then a charred, deformed landmass, still smouldering, as if sotaicho yamamoto himself had released his famed ryuujin jakka on the grounds. his voice was raw from his anguished screams, and he collapsed._

(flashback end)

Sajin sighed deeply as he laid his hand on Byakuya's shoulder.

"at least we know that her essence is back in the cycle of souls, so we may see her again someday... I won't lie and pretend to know how you feel, because I don't, but at least take this advice... remember the fun times, and cherish the good memories... no need to tear yourself up in despair... so remember your time with her, and fulfill your promise."

Naruto then stepped forward, startling some of the attending members of various clans. he drew his zanpakuto and mumbled. "change the field: bakumoku" (exploding wood) his katana turned into a massive rectangular cleaver, easily twice his size, with a decapitation hole in the middle. on his left hand appeared a metal knight's glove with vines engraved across the fingers, and the back of his hand.

"what do you think you're doing you lowly commoner?!" a clansmember of the omaeda clan roared. Naruto merely looked at the man. the light reflected off his round glasses while the top of his face was covered in shadows, giving him an eerie look. the most shocking thing however, was that the man wasn't smiling.

he turned back to the grave, and kneeled. he put his sword in front of him on the ground. he raised his gloved hand, and touched the soil on Hisana's grave lightly, before mumbling. "oukina sakura no ki no haka no hogo." (grave protection of the great sakura tree)

a pulse of reiatsu shot through the soil, and from behind the tombstone, a massive sakura tree emerged, covering the grave in it's roots and surrounding it with a peaceful aura. the flowers on the tree blossomed in a beautiful pink shade, before some petals began to fall, creating a stunning display of the beauty of nature. a flash of fire, and a text appeared on the bark of the tree.

_**'here lies Hisana Kuchiki. a beautiful flower that wilted too early.'**_

the elders of the Kuchiki clan wanted to object to the tree, but ginrei lifted his hand, shutting them up, before he walked over to Naruto.

"it's beautiful. Naruto-dono." he softly rumbled.

"as long as my reiatsu exists, this tree will continue to blossom, and protect her grave... this is the least I can do for the both of them."

"thank you, Naruto." Byakuya spoke softly.

"think nothing of it Byakuya. I may not have been able to cure her illness, but at least I will protect this grave." Naruto smiled sadly, before resealing his zanpakuto and looking at the tree.

(timeskip 30 years)

"the traitors kisuke urahara, tessai and yoruichi shihoin are hereby banished from the soul society, along with their atrocious experiments: kensei mugumura, mashiro kuna, lisa yadomaru, love aizawa, shinji hirano, hiyori sarugaki, hacchigen and rojuro otoribashi. return to the soul society will be punished with immidiate execution." yamamoto boomed at the group as they stepped through the senkaimon.

he then turned back at the captains and lieutenants left. all of them were depressed, or disappointed. Sajin silently growled, soifon silently cried and aizen seemed depressed.

"hereby I shall now appoint the new taicho's, who will then appoint new lieutenants." he grumbled. squad twelve will be led by mayuri kurotsuchi. squad nine will be led by kaname tousen. squad seven will be led by Sajin Komamura. squad six will be led by Byakuya Kuchiki, seeing that ginrei retired last week. squad five will be led by sosuke aizen, and squad two, as well as the omnitsukudo will be led by soifon. is that clear?" he asked. Sajin then raised his hand.

"sir. what about squad three?"

yamamoto sighed.

"that position will stay vacant until we have found a replacement for rojuro. why?"

"I'd like to nominate kido corps 22nd division chief Naruto Uzumaki for the seat of third division taicho." Sajin growled.

"and pray tell, why we would take a kido corps member as a gotei taicho?" aizen asked. Byakuya stepped forward.

"Naruto Uzumaki has mastered both shikai, and bankai. he is well known with the pressure, since he has been division 22's chief for the past seventy years. he has mastered nearly every kido spell out there: hado, bakudo, yuso chudo, and chiyu chudo. numbers one to one hundred, including a number of very powerful forbidden kido. his zanjutu is lieutenant's level at best, but his sheer strength surpasses that of the former kenpachi: love aizawa, and his level of speed rivals that of mine. his hakuda is top notch, and his hoho is also top tier."

yamamoto nodded as he tapped his cane on the ground. "we shall now commence a vote. all who oppose Naruto Uzumaki's promotion to taicho say nay, and all who approve, say aye."

-jushiro ukitake: aye

-mayuri kurotsuchi: nay

-rokudo aragami (oc): aye

-isshin shiba: aye

-kaname tousen: nay

-shunsui kyoraku: aye

-Sajin Komamura: aye

-Byakuya Kuchiki: aye

-sosuke aizen: nay

-retsu unohana: aye

-soifon: nay

"and I choose aye. very well, eight votes say aye and four votes say nay, motion accepted. hereby, Naruto Uzumaki is the new taicho of the third squad. DISMISSED!"

A/N

*hado= way of destruction.

*bakudo= way of binding.

*yuso chudo= way of transportation.

*chiyu chudo= way of healing.

NEXT CHAPTER: ONE FINAL TIMESKIP, THE FIRST REAL BATTLES, FINDING RUKIA AND THE NEWEST GENERATION OF SHINIGAMI ARRIVES!


End file.
